Fluid heater



MaY 22, 195l A G. l. CARTER 2,553,549

FLUID HEATER Filed Feb. `19, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l ,May 22, 1951Y G. l.V CARTER FLUID HEATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filet?. Feb. 19, 1948 Patented May 22, 1951 FLUID HEATER George I. Carter, Longmeadow, Mass. Application February 19, 1948, Serial No. 9,410

The present invention relates generally to fluid heaters and vaporizers, and more particularly to fluid heaters and vaporizors of the horizontal nre tube type.

The present invention has particular utilityin a steam generator adapted to be red with gas or oil and will be more particularly described in connection with such use. understood that the invention is equally applicable and eiicient for use as an air heating device.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a fluid heater :and vaporizor which will operate with improved efficiency so that a greater amount of heat may be derived from the hot combustion gases without increasing the size of the device. In connection with this aim, it is an object to provide a fluid heater and vaporizor which is characterized by a relatively small and compact design in relationship to output.

A further aim of the invention is to provide a fluid heater and vaporizor which is of simplif fied construction and, therefore, easy to fabricate and assemble. Included in this aim is the elimination of expensive, unnecessary or complicated parts and the provision of a uid heater and vaporizor which may be manufactured at a cost at least comparable to that of less eicient devices.

. A further object of the invention is to provide a fluid heater and vaporizor which is of rugged construction and foolproof in operation and assembly so that satisfactory service over long periods of time may be reasonably expected.

It is also an'aim ofthe invention to provide afluid heater and vaporizor which is pleasing in appearance and which is adapted for installation in any desired conventional manner.

Other objects Will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

Y The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplifled inthe construction hereafter setV forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the assembled fluid heater and vaporizor I Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view at the front end of the device with the front plate removed;

Fig. 3 is a side view partially in cross section However, it is to be 4 Claims. (Cl. 122j-137) 2 along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 with the device charged with Water; and

Fig. 4 is an end view similar to Fig. 3 with the cross sectional portion taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the general appearance of the completed fluid heater and vaporizor of the present invention is best shown in perspective in Fig. 1. As Willbemoted.

the enclosed portions of the device are generally in the shape of an inverted L. The lower leg of the L shaped casing, as denoted by the reference letter A, is the iire box of the device; the horizontal leg of the casing denoted generally by the reference letter B is the heat interchanging section where heat is transferred from the hot combustion gases to the fluid to be heated; and the rear box like portion generally denoted by the reference letter C is a conventional smoke box for leading the hot combustion gases to exhaust.

Referring first to the fire box section A, it will be noted that the same is generally box-like in outline and in the specific embodiment shown the lire box is lined with suitable refractory material I0. The actual design of the fire box A forms no partof the present invention and the same may be suitably modilied as desired. For example, in some cases it may be preferredto utilize re box A of the wet base type instead of the dry base type as shown in the specific embodiment in the drawings. The front plate I I which encloses the front end of the device is provided with a circular opening. I2 for receiving an oil or gas burner (not shown) in the usual conventional manner. It is contemplated that the device of the present invention may be used with any standard type of oil or gas burner and the particular burner selected is immaterial insofar as the present invention is concerned.

In the specic embodiment shown in the drawings, the fire box A extends slightly less than half of the depth of the device, that is, from front to back. The relative dimensions of the re box A and the heat interchanging section B are a matter of design and the relative lengths thereof may be varied over a wide range depending upon the desired characteristics of the device. In general, amore eicient operation will be obtained when the heat interchanging section B is relatively long with respect to the re box A.

'The heat interchanging section B to which the present invention is particularly directed is generally rectangular in outline and is located along the top of the nre box A and continues rearwardly therefrom and is supported at the rear by frame members |3. Interiorly of section B there is disposed a plurality of inclined plates 20, adjacent plates being reversely inclined, which are secured together at their adjacent edges to form a seri-es of wedge-shaped cavities or indentations and dividing the section B into an upper fluid compartment and a lower combustion gas compartment. As bestshown in Fig. 4, Ythe wedgeshaped cavitiesl communicatingwith the upper portion of sectil'n B and which are denoted by reference numerals 2|, these being V-shaped in cross section, are adapted to contain the fluid to be heated, in the specific embodiment, this being water, jl1,eA wedges communicating with the lower, part of the section B, having a cross section in the form of an inverted V, and which are generally denoted by reference numerals 22, are adaptedhfor the passage of the hot combustion gases from the fire box A. For convenience, these passageways will be referred to more particularlyT hereinafter asthe fire tubes. The inclined arrangement of the plates 2B insures a maximum heat interchanging surface between the hot combustion gases and the fluid to be heated. It also provides the greatest heat interchange where. the gases are the hottest and the water is the coldest.

The inclined plates 2li extend from front to rear of the device with the ire tubes or channels 22 being openat the bottom at the frontend to v the re box A. The rear portions of the fire tubes or channels V22 are closed at the bottom by the horizontal plate 2'3 extending rearwardly from the top of the nre box A.V The plates 2U are secured at their rear vedges to the rear plate 24 in any suitable manner, this rear plate 24 having V-shaped notches 25 cut therein for the egress of the combustion gases into the smoke box C which collects thegases for exhaust through the opening 25 in the usual manner. The rear plate 243 serves as the rear closure for the fluid 'compartment.

The inclined plates 20 do not extend entirely to the top of 'the device but have their upper joined edges spaced from the top plate 21 so as to provide a heated vapor collecting space thereabove. As previously mentioned, the sp'e'cic embodiment is shown for use as a steam generator and in such case the preferred water level or'line is somewhat below the top plate. 21 but above the upper edges of theplates 20. Suitable openings 28 are provided for the attachmentthereto of a suitable sight gauge for indicating the water level. The openings 29 in the top plate 21 are adapted for taking off the heated vapor. The`opening 3|] in the front plate Il is a water return or filler opening.

A principal advantage and the novelty of the construction of the present invention lies in the manner in which the front ends of the fire tubes or channels 22 are closed so as to provide heat interchanging surfaces of improved eciency to provide additional fluid capacity and improved fluid ow while at the same time eliminating any of the usual complicated header arrangements. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the front of the re tubes or channels 22 are closed by inverted V-shaped plates 3| which are joined to the forward edges of the inclined plates 2B. The inclined plates 20 are terminated at the forward AHA n? Hna flowing r'l nh 'NPIR Extending rearals wardly from the front and bottom of the heat interchanging section B and, accordingly, the V-shaped plates 3| are also inclined rearwardly from the vertical. This inclined positioning of the V-shaped plates 3| provides heat interchanging surfaces at a place where they will be impinged against by the hot combustion gases at the highest temperature and it also provides an additional reservoir section for the fluid to be heated and insures an adequate circulation of fresh water to the wedges 2| so that vapor locks are avoided, all this being accomplished without the' need kforVA any complicated header arrangemntf As a" result of ,thisA construction, the efflciency of the device is greatly increased and it is possible to obtain a greater heat interchange with a device of relatively small size.

Aszwill be appreciated, the construction of the p kesentuinvention is not diiiicult to fabricate and assemble and there is no arrangement which would tend to ,develop trouble during service over long periods of time'. As a result, it is possible to produce a more efficient and compact fluid heater and vaporizor without increased cost and without the use. of, compliaated @expensive 4paris- As manychanges couldubemade in thel above construction and many 4 apparently widely different embodiments of this invention coud be made vwithout departingfrom the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter containedin the above description or s hownin the accompanying drawings shallbe interpreted as illustrative and not inalirniting sense,v i It is also to beA understoodthatthe vlanguage used in the following claims is intended Jto cover all of thegenerio and specific features of the invention herein describedand all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language; might be saidto fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention.;

1. In a nuid heater having a source of not combustion gases, a series of horizontal fire tubes for permitting-passage of said gases to exhaust and providinga heat interchanging surf ace between thegases and the fluid to be heated, saidre tubes comprising aseries vof alternately inclined plates j oined tog ether along adjacent edges and extending rearwardly from the top of .Saidsourcaid Plateshavine ,fsirward edges which are inclined upwardly andrearwardly and which areclosedby similarly rearwardly inclined triangularly Vslia .1;- e d platesregistering with and connected to said forwardedge's.

,2- ,In a uidheaten a series.. f horizontal fire tubes of generally triangular cross section openjat oneendto exhaust and means for closing the otherend of said re tubes comprising heat transfer surfaces inclined upwardly and towardsaid 0ne;er1.1..-..

3. In a fluid heater, aheat transfer section, 1.116395. in i'f 529111011. OYmmg .an upper 00m parimer1i-f9riiudich@ heated and a Series 0f 10We1 pagways for 11,01? COmblStQn gases' Sad means comprising a series of alternately inclined plates joined along adjacent edges and extending from front to rear of the section,`and means for closingthe forward ends of said passageways and forming a fluid reservoircommunicating with said compartment, said means comprising ullwardly Vand rearwardly inclined triangularly shaped closure plates secured at their edges to Vsaidirst named platea..

4. In a fluid heater having a iirebox and a heat interchanging,compartment extendingY rearwardly from the top of the lire box, the combination REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 15 Number Name Date Hayna Apr. 17, 1888 Moore-Irvine June 14, 1910 McClellon July 28, 1914 Nelson Oct. 22, 1929 McPhee July 5, 1932 Morgan Aug. 30, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain May 14, 1866 Great Britain Sept. 19, 1934 

